Practising Biology
by babycakesbriauna
Summary: AU. A murder is reported at the Crane residence, but all isn't what it seems. Ichabbie. No Katrina.


Captain Frank Irving found himself ringing the doorbell of a family home right out outside of DC, in Alexandria, for 5 minutes before someone answered through the intercom. "Who the hell is this? It is such an offense time of day ,or should I say night, to come to ones home unannounced?" It was Crane. He was partly taken aback by the profanity as he rarely heard Crane use such language. _The again , even the most polite person would have replied the same way if you wake them up at 1:30 in morning on a Thursday night._

"Crane, it's Irving"

He heard Crane mumble and none too soon the gate opened. As he walked the path that lead to the main door, he thought back at the phone call he receive just moments ago: the reason why he went to the Crane household.

 _He was on a way home after catching up on paper work. It had not but a busy week, but somehow he'd let this week's paperwork pile up. As he drove, he hummed an O'Jays tune streaming through his car. Just as he reached the his favourite part , his attention was diverted to his duty phone. He gave the voice command to pause the song and swiftly answered his phone._

 _"Irving"_

 _"Captain."_

He didn't have the slightest inclination as to why he'd be receiving a call from Ramirez, prayed it wouldn't send him back to the stations, _as he wanted nothing more than his bed and his beautiful wife's arms._

 _"Ramirez?"_

 _"We just received a call from a young girl who reported her father was killing her mother and asked to send the police immediately," Ramirez relayed, but there was something strange in his tone._

 _Picking up on it "Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked suspiciously._

 _"The call was from Gracie."_

 _"Gracie?" Frank repeated startled. Grace Elizabeth , affectionately known as Gracie, was the four year old of Abbie and Ichabod Crane. He'd been introduced to Mills through her godfather, August Corbin, and had even helped the couple relocate to the DVM area when Abbie was offered a job at Quantico. Alexandria had been the perfect place for the young couple to settle. Not to hard from the hustle and bustle of The District yet close enough that their daily commutes to their did not feel like hassles._

 _When the couple relocated, they immediately hit off with Irving, a recently divorced father, and became good friends with him and a few people in his squad. His own daughter nannied for them. Often taking Gracie to dance practice or sitting at their home during piano lessons when her father, an esteemed Georgetown professor and writer, often had work events to attend to._

 _"Yes, Gracie." Ramirez repeated. "I don't know the exact details, but all she said besides her name,age, address was: "Send the police quickly, daddy is killing my mommy."_

 _Frank was speechless while Ramirez on the other end of the line just sighed._

 _"We know this family. Gina and I just had dinner with them on Tuesday...and we both know that this isn't right…. Mills is a spite fire...and Ichabod..."_

 _Right, Ichabod Crane loved his wife immensely. The man thought she was heaven on Earth and walked on water. He couldn't think of a greater love and bond shared between two indicated. One could almost sense their feelings just by passing a few minutes with them and often be left feeling as if they were intruding._

 _"... With everything I thought it would be best to send someone who knows them. You ever the first person to come to mind. I know you're on your way how but since you're very close to the..."_

 _"I'm heading there now. You've done the right thing" He hung up, making a sharp left turn._

 _While driving he couldn't help but think that maybe Crane, who was notoriously know by everyone for his jealousy and possessiveness concerning Abbie, may have gone too far and tried to- No. He refused to even think that. Crane would never ever hurt his wife. As Ramirez mentioned, Mills was a spite fire much like her sister. She was one of the best agents in Quantico. If he feared for anyone, it would be Crane._

The moment he stopped at the front door, Ichabod appeared in the doorway. He was wearing only the bottom part of his pajamas and his hair was rather messy. A sight many were not privy to.

"Frank, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

"We received a call from your house." Frank began. "Just wanted to control if everything's alright."

"A call?" Ichabod repeated. "About what?"

Frank didn't know how to say it "Well…" _he paused ' You've killed your wife'_ How can he say that to his friend? He opted a different approach. "The call came from"

"I rang you!" the young girl's voice came suddenly terrified. Almost like magic, the curly hair, doe eyed girl appeared from the dark. "I rang the police!"

"Whaa- Grace. Why would you phone your- the police at such an hour?" Ichabod asked his daughter , confusion etched across his face.

"Because you were killing Mummy!" the little girl shouted through tears, pointing a finger at her startled father. "I heard you!"

Frank looked down at Grace, then his gaze shout back to his friend.

Ichabod stared at his daughter for very long until he turned into the house and said aloud "Abigail,please do me the trouble of coming downstairs for a brief moment?"

"Ichabod?" Moments later Abbie appeared on the top of the stairs, with her gun safely in hand. The tone of his voice and usage of her full name caused her to take precaution. She descended the stairs, and she yawned as she tied the knot of her robe with one hand. "Ichabod, what's going on?" Then she saw the other man. "Frank?"

"Mummy!" young Gracie cried, throwing herself at her mother's legs. Abbie steadied herself from the impact and quickly placed her firearm on the table near the entrance. "Mummy, you're not dead! I'm so happy Daddy didn't kill you!" Her small frame clung to her mother with all the her might as if the umbilical cord had never been cut. "Don't worry Mummy, Uncle Frankie gots a gun, and we'll make sure Daddy hurt you anymore!"

Now it was Abbie's turn to look confused. "Killed me Gracie….?" She looked at her husband and then to Frank, asking with her eyes some sort of explanation, but she soon found that they were as lost as she was.

Ichabod took a deep breath and decided to take control. He bent his tall frame down, put his hands on his knees and looked leveled eyed is daughter.

"Okay Gracie, please elaborate." he said calmly. "Now, you said you called the police because you thought I was killing your mother?" The last words sounding foreign to his ears and tongue. As if there's anyway that could ever happen. He'd rather taken his own life before he allowed any harm to come to his Treasure.

Still hugging on at her mother's leg, the little girl wordlessly nodded. Her brown curls falling in her eyes and slightly obscuring her view.

"What gave you that impression, sweetheart?" Ichabod inquired further more.

"Because I heard it!" Gracie shouted with tears coming.

"What did you hear?" This time is as Abbie's calm voice.

The girl stayed silent for a few seconds. She then attempted to dry her tears. "I was coming to your bedroom. I wanted to ask if I could sleep with you and Daddy, because I had a bad dream… But your door was locked, and I was gonna knock, but then I heard Mummy making lots of noises. She was breathing really hard, like when I do boxing warm ups with her. Then she kept saying 'Stop' and 'Oh God' and "Don't" then she screamed and there was banging and it went really quiet.." She looked up at her mother "You were praying and yelling for help right, Mummy?" she asked innocently.

Silence filled the room,lasting for moments until a wave of awareness washed over the adults. They all became wide eyed and any stupor they'd had was long gone.

Abbie, instinctively fiddled with her robe in an attempt to further cover herself. Her eyes were wide, her lips agape, and she tried to avoid the other's gazes. Embarrassement flooded her as her cheeks began a heat.

Ichabod straightened up. He cleared his throat and attempted to smooth his tousled locks, as he became aware of his post sex hair. He opened his mouth, but quickly closed it as he was unsure what to say next. He was in shock and gone pale when he understood his child's interpretation of the events that had occurred the master bedroom. He cleared his throat once again and turned to Frank, "I'm sorry you come all the way here Frank…."

Frank blinked a couple of times and then he nodded "Sorry for the intrusion. May you all have a pleasant night." He couldn't stop smiling and grinning as the faces of the couple flared with a deep shade of red. Then he turned back towards his car and headed home.

Ichabod and Abbie watched Frank leave, still in shock and slightly embarrassed. Their daughter looking up at in confusion. Feeling as if she was missing out on a secret. "What?" she asked her mother innocently." Did I not do the right thing Mummy? I thought you were hurt."

"Grace, baby you did but…" Abbie began the paused, not knowing what to say next.

"We'll discuss it in the morning okay?" Ichabod interjected, filling in for his wife's silence. "Why don't you go up to our room and get comfy huh?" He suggested to the growing girl who nodded and ran up the stairs.

"No running," Abbie's voice called before turning to face her husband. She looked up at him briefly before burying her face in his chest in mortification. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss atop of her head.

"Ichabod..." her own arms encompassing his lean midsection.

"I know, Treasure." He murmured softly as they fell back into silence. His hands rubbed her arms, hoping to provide some sort of comfort to her.

Abbie pulled away slightly to meet his gaze , "I told you I was being too loud, but you and your damn ego. Now we've traumatised our child."l

"I did not hear any complaints from you about me, my ego, or anything else pertaining to me, Dear. In fact it was quite the opposite. What was the phrasing you chose 'Oh god, don't you dare stop' ," he took a quick, whispered jad resulting in Abbie glaring at him.

"Oh you have jokes now. I'll remember that,Crane."

"We must find humour in this. That is all I'm attempting to do," he assured her and bent slightly to kiss her nose. "As far as Grace is concerned, she's young. If we do not speak of it, hopefully this is one of those events that fades from her memory as she ages."

"Thank God eidetic memories aren't genetic," Abbie sighed as she reached for the gun she'd brought down earlier. Ichabod released her from his embrace, and the two silently made their way upstairs.

xxx

"You're really so cute!" Nick said to his goddaughter while he ruffled her brown curls.

"Please don't do that Goddaddy, you'll make my hair frizzy."

"So, when can we expect another little Crane ?" Jenny whispered to Abbie. "I heard." Jenny began with emphasis, "That you don't lack the time despite your busy schedules." she said teasingly.

Abbie looked at her sister shockingly. She should have known her brother in law would spill the beans to her sister.

"Don't look so surprised Abs! I know that you expected Frank not to tell anyone you know from his force, but did you really think he'd keep it from me. I'm his wife so there are no secrets between us" she smirked. "Plus, what happened is too hilarious to be kept secret. If something like that happened with us and Ichy knew, wouldn't you feel robbed if he didn't tell you," she said teasingly. "Don't worry, I won't tell anybody else. Especially not Gram!"

Abbie sighed. "I would appreciate it. You know how Gram gets." Their grandmother was always going on about how handsome Ichabod was, and that she hope he satisfied her dear Abigail in always walks of life.

Jenny then turned to her young niece. "Would you like a little brother or a little sister Gracie?" she asked.

Gracie nodded. "One of my classmate just got a little brother! She talks about him all the time and has so many neat plans. I want to do that too. So when I left dance the other day, I asked Daddy when I would get a little brother!"

Jenny chuckled. "What did Daddy say?" she asked curiously.

Grace took a sip of her tea and answers innocently. "He said I would get one when I start sleeping in my own bed, so that he and Mummy could get back to practising biology."

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.


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